


Cats With Nine Lives

by slightly_murderous_sorcerer (emerald_witch_esmeralda)



Category: Versailles (TV 2015)
Genre: And be a brother instead of a king for only a moment, And it’s just sad, Because it’s clear they love each other, Brothers, But the way they were brought up taught them to see each other as enemies, Family Relationships - Freeform, Gen, I just wanted Louis to drop the king mask for once, I needed something cute with these two, I’m a sucker for sibling relationships, cuties being cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 20:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19180816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emerald_witch_esmeralda/pseuds/slightly_murderous_sorcerer
Summary: Louis was always king before he was anything else, even before being a brother. It was always one or the other, no in between...but there was once a time where the crown didn’t get in the way, when he knew how to be both at the same time.When he had his brother’s back.





	Cats With Nine Lives

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fluffy family one-shot inspired by the Versailles topaz scene, hence the title and the quote.
> 
> French word of the day: Matou- means “tomcat”.

_”In the days when it was only you who truly had my back, the way only a brother can.”_  
\- Philippe, Duc d’Orleans. Versailles.  


  


  


  
“Louis!” The eleven-year-old king turned over to see his little brother running over to him, climbing into bed beside him.  
“Philippe? Wha...what are you..?” Louis hissed, not pleased in the least at being woken up. His eyes then widened as he sniffed the air. “Did you...did you take something from the kitchens?”  
“I wanted raspberry tarts, and they wouldn’t let me have any.” In the faint candlelight, Louis could see his brother’s sticky hands and face smeared with red. “Maman said those were for tomorrow! You are _soooooo_ dead!”  
“No! Please don’t tell, I’m begging you! They’ll keep me locked up in my room all day and I won’t be able to go to the party tomorrow!”  
Louis grumbled and sat up, fully awake now. “You’re going to leave jam in my bed, clean up!” He tossed a handkerchief to Philippe, who wiped off as best he could. Pausing on his left cheek, there was a knock at the door. “My lords!”  
“Philippe! Louis!” It was their mother, and she wasn’t alone, for that first voice was clearly a man. Cardinal Mazarin perhaps?  
“I’m scared!” Philippe started to cry out but Louis clapped a hand over his mouth. “Do you want them to hear you?!” The young prince shook his head. “Now come on!” Taking his brother by the arm, Louis opened the door to his already larger-than-necessary wardrobe. “Hide in here!”  
“In the wardrobe?!”  
“Yes!” Louis hissed.  
“But Lou, it’s dark in here!”  
“It’ll only be a for a couple of minutes, Matou!” His face softened somewhat when he saw the fear in the young prince’s eyes. “I promise. You say you want to be a soldier one day...soldiers aren’t scared of the dark.” Philippe continues to look at the older boy before nodding, letting Louis close the wardrobe.  
“Come in!” He called with all the authority that his young voice could muster. Anne burst in, and just as Louis had guessed there was Cardinal Mazarin standing behind her. “Louis, where is your brother?” The queen regent asked firmly.  
“Isn’t he in bed? And why are you looking for him, Maman?” The young king asked innocently.  
“There were several raspberry tarts that went missing from a platter meant for tomorrow’s festivities, Majesty.” The Cardinal said. “We just want to talk to His Highness...”  
“And you assume he did it?” Louis actually sounded indignant...Philippe often said that he got the blame more than Louis did, but Louis never believed him. Until now. “What if it was one of the servants?”  
“Could’ve been, but His Highness was quite vocally upset this morning about not being able to have one.”  


  
“He didn’t do it.” Louis said. “But I know who did.” Anne straightened up and looked at her eldest son. “What?! Who?!”  
“Me. I ate them.”  
“Louis!” Anne actually looked surprised. Her children were mischievous, true...but she suspected that her eldest was beyond the age of swiping tarts from plates. “Is this true?”  
“Yes. I’m sorry, Maman...but I was really hungry.”  
“That is most improper, Your Majesty! You know better than that!”  
“Louis, I’m so disappointed in you. I have to make you stay in your room tomorrow...”  
“You can’t.”  
“And why exactly not, young man?!”  
“Because it’s a party to welcome the English ambassador. The English are coming to see the king...me. You can’t throw a party without the king present.”  
“Actually, Sire. They’re coming as allies of France...”  
“I _am_ France! Isn’t that what you always taught me?”  
Cool as iced water, the young king didn’t even flinch. The two adults were staring in disbelief. “Anne! He’s...”  
“Quiet!” She hissed, her eyes were stern when she looked at the child standing in his too-large nightshirt. “Very well, you may attend the party tomorrow. However, you’ll have no dessert for a week afterward. Is that understood?”  
“Yes, Maman.”  


  
“Goodnight then.” The two of them disappeared, Louis shut the door behind them, waiting until he could no longer hear footsteps.  
“They’re gone now, Matou.” Philippe climbed out of the wardrobe, taking care not to trip over the hem of his own nightshirt. “Why do you call me that? Matou?”  
“Because you like ribbons and shiny things, you like to nap in strange places, you like milk and chasing after birds. You’re always wandering off getting in trouble, you’re a tomcat if I ever saw one.”  
“Louis, that was...”  
“You owe me big time for this!” Louis made to go sit back on his bed, Philippe following him. “Thank you.” He said softly.  
But...why did you do that? Why did you say you did it, you could’ve blamed one of the servants...”  
“Because I’m the king. And they can’t punish me. At least not as harshly.”  
“But Maman said you can’t have any dessert..”  
“Again, I’m the king! I can have what I want, little brother.” A companionable silence drifted over the two of them, until...  
“I should’ve ratted you out, though.” Louis said, but it was half-amused.  
“But _why_?!” Philippe demanded.  
“Because you went and got raspberry tarts and didn’t even bring me one, cheeky monkey!”  
“I did, actually.” Philippe pulled something wrapped in a handkerchief from his dressing gown pocket and handed it to his brother.  
“Thank you.” Louis plucked the tart from Philippe’s fingers and bit into it, the silence drifting over again as they sat side by side on the king’s bed. “Am I a cat or a monkey, which one?” They both laughed.  
“It depends, I guess.” His eyes widened and twinkled with a mischievous glint. Maybe I should call you chameleon instead!”  
“Thank you, Louis.”  
“Hey, you may be annoying...”  
“ _You’re_ annoying!”  
“But you’re still my brother, Matou. I’ll _always_ have your back.”  


  
“Promise?”  
“Promise. On my honor as king.”  
“And I’ll always have yours. On my honor as a king’s brother. Don’t worry, I’ll sneak you dessert while you’re on punishment.”  
“Thank you.”  


  
“Louis?”  
“Yeah?”  
“I love you.”  
Louis smiled, patting Philippe’s back.  
“Love you too, Matou. Now maybe we should get to sleep, we have to wake up early tomorrow.”  
“Awwwww! Really?!”  



End file.
